The process according to the instant invention is for the manufacture of Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) which is useful for fuels, intermediates for chemical syntheses and the like.
N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) has been identified by Department of Labor safety orders as a cancer suspect agent, i,e., a carcinogen. This material is an intermediate compound of the instant process for manufacture of unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH).
Because NDMA is an indicated carcinogen, a significant object of the invention is to employ closed-loop processing with recycling of all waste streams. Additionally the instant invention teaches a positive treatment of all liquid, vapor and solid sidestreams to prevent NDMA exposure to chemical operators or to the environment.
For example, the Federal Safety Order definition of acceptable NDMA concentration is 1% by weight or volume. According to the method of the instant invention all NDMA would be destroyed in each and every waste stream.
Of significance is the fact that there are three ordinary outlets from the instant process and these lead to either a thermal destructor or a rotary flaker and the third one is the final product, UDMH. All vapor and liquid waste is thoroughly treated to destroy NDMA in the thermal destructor. One solid by-product, potassium nitrate salt, is similarly treated in a high temperature melt pot of a rotary flaker destroying all final traces of NDMA. UDMH, the final product of this process also contains only minute quantities of NDMA.